Backside Painting

The discovery of my technique "Painting with Both Sides of the Paint" grew out of my desire to truly own something as an artist. Uncovering the hidden side of painting radically shifted my career. In my earlier work, I was frustrated knowing where the painting would end up. The rest of the process was just a matter of moving to the inevitable conclusion. I wanted to find a way to stay open and be continually surprised and engaged. I discovered my technique one day when the corner of dry paint on my waxed paper disposable palette peeled up. When I peeled it off I was amazed at what I found on the hidden side of the paint. It revealed underlying gestural patterns previously hidden from the artist. It had a life and spontaneity that I had never seen before... something that felt human but freed of any doubt or hesitation. So after many experiments I found that I could paint on this clear cellophane typically used for gift-wrapping, and when I glued it to the canvas the film would peel off, essentially creating printing plates. Plus if I liked what I was also doing on the visible surface, I could lay a piece of clear film on the wet paint and capture that image too. This ability to utilize “both sides of the paint” gave me a freedom and expanded palette that continues to excite me with possibilities everyday. By stretching the boundaries of artistic conventions such as illusionistic depth, distinct figure and ground, I am able to bend the paint the way a musician bends a note. There’s a dynamic tension between illusionary power and the sheer physicality of the paint. The paint vacillates between pure physical paint - Jackson Pollock splashes and splatters - to photographic Ansel Adams-like halftone. Much of the process is just looking..like finding animals in the clouds and Jesus in the toast, but ultimately taps into my unconscious narratives. Having lived by the ocean in Maine for 30 years, the ocean theme runs through many of my works. Prior to discovering this technique, I always knew where a piece would end up. Now I must trust, push and cajole to end up with more of a poetic approximation.